Walmart Swings the Ax -- Again

Unemployment alert!

Walmart, the largest private employer in the U.S. with 1.4 million employees, has announced they'll be closing 10 Sam's Club locations around the country and laying off 1500 people in order to cut costs. This follows layoffs made last February at their Arkansas headquarters, affecting 700 people.

Stores affected include those in Houston, Phoenix, and Sacramento as well as Nampa, Idaho; Rolling Meadows, Illinois; Clay, New York; La Quinta, California; and Irvine, California.

The good news? The company will be adding six new Sam's clubs and remodeling 52 others by the end of the year, and plans to add as many as 10 clubs and remodel as many as 80 in 2011. And they say they're looking for openings in their remaining locations for the 1500 affected employees. We wish all employers would do the same.